Gather, mix, make merry: Plan a cake-mixing meetup with friends & fam (Pic: AI-generated)
Ideally, the ratio should be 3:7, with nuts making up 30% and dried fruits 70%. ” You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Delhi | Silver Rate in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi | Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Petrol Price in Delhi | Diesel Price in Delhi | CNG Price in Delhi | LPG Price in Delhi Stay updated with the latest Delhi news. Usually, you meet a lot of people at the bakery, so that feels like a community event too.
We are also looking at adding gingerbread cookie decoration to the session,” says Suhita. Baker Sheena Singhania, founder of Project Cake says, “The dry fruits are carefully chopped, soaked, and lovingly mixed by hand, allowing all those beautiful flavours to come together. Loud music, some drinks and working together to create something beautiful is a nice way to round up the year. ” Sharing her hack to the most succulent Christmas cake, baker Kanika Chopra, founder of Kanique, shares, “While dried fruits benefit from prolonged soaking, nuts can lose their crunch and develop stale or rancid flavours. It is a wonderfully sensory activity, from the aroma of spices and dried fruits to the textures, colours and the simple joy of getting your hands into the mix,” says Drishtee Sikka, co-founder of Ello’ Bakehouse in Okhla, who sees the appeal in its sensory and participatory nature. Join conversation Share your thoughts in the comments Be respectful · TOI community guidelines The communal aspect, she says, is what makes it special. Baker Kanika Chopra, founder of Kanique, Model Town, says, “Adding too much spirit doesn’t necessarily mean a better-soaked fruit mix.
Imagine the aroma of spices and citrus zest mingling with cherries, nuts, and dried fruits as they begin their long, festive soak. It’s a tradition built for many hands – making this weekend’s community cake-mixing gathering the sweetest way to kick off the holiday season. ‘Let every family member choose an ingredient to add to the mix’ For many families, the ritual is less about the cake and more about what happens before it reaches the oven. Ghaziabad resident Ishan Bennett Blest, who works at a music studio and has grown up seeing cake mixing as a joyous tradition, shares, “My family prepares dried fruits, peels, currants and raisins at home before taking the mix to a bakery closer to Christmas. Every time anybody visits our home, we feed them the cake and also give them a cake to take home. The basic idea of the tradition is to share love. He adds, “A family friend loved the cakes so much that he wanted to make them too, so we got more fruit, soaked it together, went to the bakery together, and divided the soaked fruit. Naturally suited to a gathering, the ritual is seen by chef Tejasvi Chandela, founder of cloud patisserie Dzurt, as a way to unite generations around one table each year. “Christmas cake mixing is one of those traditions where the preparation is just as meaningful as the finished cake. The aromas of dried fruits, citrus, and warm spices, the anticipation of Christmas, and the simple act of coming together around a table make it an experience worth sharing. ” She explains that participation does not require baking expertise. “One lovely way to turn this into an annual ritual is to let every family member choose an ingredient to add to the mix. It could be a favourite dried fruit, a particular spice or a little citrus zest. Over time, the recipe becomes something unique to that family, evolving with their tastes and traditions. For those looking to soak in the Christmas spirit ahead of the season, cake-mixing sessions are also being hosted at hotels ‘Mixing can be a neighbourhood tradition’ Cake mixing can extend beyond the family table. Chef and culinary consultant Reetu Uday Kugaji suggests taking the ritual into neighbourhoods and communities, where everyone brings something to the mix. “Cake mixing shouldn’t be confined to hotels. It can become a neighbourhood tradition, where people bring ingredients from their homes and together create the true flavour of Christmas. The joy of Christmas need not begin when the cake is served. It can begin right from the very first mix Reetu Uday Kugaji, chef and culinary consultant Cake mixing is also finding its way into workshops. Sawee in Greater Noida, founded by Suhita Chakrabarty with Harshita Harjai, is planning a cake-mixing session. “We want the cake-mixing workshop to be a hands-on experience rather than just a demonstration. Participants will prepare their own soaking mix with ingredients such as candied orange peels, almonds, raisins, figs, dried cranberries, and black currants. The idea is to get everyone involved in the process and let them take home their own prepared mix in a jar. ‘Spices are your playing field’ The mix offers plenty of room for personalisation. Baker Palack Khanna, founder of The H&J Co in Gurgaon, suggests, “Dry fruits, especially raisins, should be soaked well so they become nice and juicy, as they take up a lot of the liquid. If you can get your hands on sultana raisins, that would be ideal. Spices are your playing field, but cinnamon and cloves are good to have. Hearty spices work best. Ginger is another favourite of ours to use. ” This flexibility can make a mixing session more personal. The soaking process requires lots of hands and what’s better than doing it with friends and family? My recommendation is to soak the dried fruits separately and add fresh nuts closer to baking” ‘Cake mixing is as much about the experience as it is about the cake itself’ For many Delhiites, the holiday season doesn’t begin until they’ve rolled up their sleeves and dived into a boozy, spice-laden batch of dried fruits and nuts. Cake mixing is as much about the experience as it is about the cake itself. “Everyone contributes something, everyone gets involved, and somewhere between the mixing, tasting and conversations, strangers become part of a shared experience. With home cake-mixing gatherings planned a month before Christmas, bakers note that ingredient choices and timing will shape the final cake. Excessive liquid can make the fruits mushy and affect the cake batter, so add just enough to coat and moisten the fruits. Download the TOI App.
Before the Christmas ovens even warm up, the magic starts in the mixing bowl.
